“What I don’t like is when a book teaches me morals!”
How do today’s youth read? Lucas Siller on ZDF
Source: ZDF and Svea Pietschmann
For the first time, three young people are discussing literature in the cult show “Literarisches Quartet”. Their opinions are particularly divided over a novel about a trans man. Everyone finds a classic presented by Thea Dorn unbearable.
Un order to prove that today’s young people can do more than just stream, game and TikToken, the presenter of the Literary Quartet, Thea Dorn, invited for the first time to a U21 version of the ZDF cult show. Three applicants were able to prevail in a Germany-wide casting to discuss their favorite books together in the Berliner Ensemble – more precisely: “novels that have helped them to fight the dark shadows that lie on their souls in these times”. The 21-year-old student Sarah Akinsola, the 16-year-old student Conrad Henzler and the 17-year-old student Lucas Siller are guests.
Siller starts with “Hard Land”, the latest novel by Benedict Wells. “You know that, you mess up,” he summarized the story with a smile. Akinsola and Henzler agree the novel is so “beautifully retro”. Only Dorn, who intervened at some point, points out that she was born in 1970, which is the same age as the protagonists. But she couldn’t identify with them, it all seemed pretty stage-like to her.
That shouldn’t be the only time that the age difference between Dorn and her guests has caused disagreements. Worlds collide most strongly when discussing Albert Camus’ classic The Stranger, which Dorn introduced as one of the few books she read when she was 16 and that she still enjoys today. “I threw the book away in frustration!” she immediately replies from the youth side.
In a pose worthy of Ranicki, the defenders of Generation Z tear the world-famous existentialist. His use of the perfect tense, the monotonous parataxes, and the unbearable anything-anything attitude of his protagonist, which is no longer revolutionary today, are so vehemently denied that Dorn could only marvel. It’s just a “dis-empowerment novel,” she objects sheepishly.
Sibylle Berg’s dystopia “GRM. Brainfuck”, whose described horror is at least fascinating.
From left: Sara Akinsola, Thea Dorn, Conrad Henzler, Lucas Siller
Source: ZDF and Svea Pietschmann
Perhaps the most controversial discussion of the evening was sparked off by the empowerment novel “Felix Ever After”. “What I don’t like is when a book lectures me morally!” admits Henzler. The novel about a trans man in love could be described as important, but not as literature. “Trans people, you matter, you are amazing, you are perfect. The book can be summed up with this sentence.” Akinsola emphasizes that he likes to immerse himself in foreign realities like this, that’s what literature is for.
When Dorn wanted to do her moderation job and wanted to hear Siller’s opinion, he relaxed: “I would have straddled at some point anyway!” One can only admire the kids for their relaxed willingness to engage in dialogue, for their curiosity and opinionated polemics. One would wish for more of such fresh, non-ideological thinking on German television. The stream and all questions open.